


Those Who Fight Further

by greekprincessia



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Multi, The mashup I always wanted to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-07-28 10:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16240151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greekprincessia/pseuds/greekprincessia
Summary: In the Dissidia Empire, a knight of light and dark with stained hands, a wayward magic knight who is afraid of her power, an ex-mercenary with a serious vendetta, a wanderer yearning for adventure, and a raggedy pickpocket with a complicated family must band together to face their pasts, embrace destiny, and fight a kingdom of oppressors.





	1. Five Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> Years ago I attempted to write this story on another site. Now I'm giving it a second shot! Here we go...!

The small town of Narshe was a quiet, isolated place far north of the majority of the Dissidia Empire. Snow descended from the permanently gloomy sky three hundred and sixty-five days a year, and little of significance ever occurred there. Outsiders had little reason to trek the long, uneasy miles to visit the town, and for the most part the town was forever left alone.

It was because of this isolation that Zidane Tribal was wondering just why a well-equipped knight was limping into town without the aid of any transportation, especially on such a dark and snowy night. Lurking in the shadow of a house, the thief sized up the intruder. Armor of darkness encased his shoulders, chest, and legs, and a sword, black as obsidian with golden accents, was sheathed on his waist. Silvery-white hair cascaded down past his shoulders, and there was a sorrowful glimmer in the man's eyes that immediately told Zidane one thing: this man was haunted by something. Perhaps it was the past, or possibly the looming shadow of the empire itself.

Whatever it was, it seemed to coerce the thief into somersaulting out of his hiding place and landing mere feet in front of the man. "You lost?"

The armored man locked eyes with Zidane, taking in the thief's appearance. In sharp contrast to the stranger, Zidane truly didn't look like much. His blond hair was tied back in a spiky blond ponytail, and mischievous blue eyes looked deep into the intruder's. A teal vest fell over a ruffled white shirt and puffy pants of the same shade of teal concealed his lithe frame from the chill. Twin daggers were hanging on a chunky belt at his waist. Despite the lack of sleeves, the cold didn't really seem to bother him.

The one feature that stood apart as bizarre was the tan tail poking out from his backside. It usually garnered far too many questions, but the armored man didn't even ask, something Zidane was grateful for.

Teeth chattering, the man inquired feebly, "Is there a place to buy food in this town?"

Zidane smiled encouragingly at the man. Whatever his deal was, he didn't look hostile. "I know a place. You got a name?"

"Cecil."

"I'm Zidane. Welcome to Narshe."

 

* * *

 

Umaro Tavern only had two employees, but that was honestly all it needed for the small mining town. Tonight, only one customer was seated at the counter, Zidane noted. Beside him, Cecil sighed in relief for some reason, but Zidane narrowed his eyes. It seemed awfully funny to him that two newcomers would be in town.

The guy had taken off his coat and placed it on the seat next to him. The longer Zidane glanced at him, the more peculiar the guy seemed. His chestnut brown hair and cheery hazel eyes were nothing out of the ordinary, but his clothes were another matter entirely. He was attired in a sleeveless blue silk shirt and white tights. An intricate shoulder guard protected his left shoulder, and multiple sashes and scarves adorned his waist, along with a cape covering his shoulders.

The look reminded Zidane of a mime. He was carrying a red rapier, and Zidane took a moment to reflect on when exactly everyone in the world felt the need to tote a weapon around anymore.

It was a depressing train of thought, so he shook it away and feasted his eyes on the woman behind the counter. "Hey, Terra, this is Cecil. He's new in town," said Zidane, not taking his eyes off the girl.

She was far from an eyesore. Green hair pulled up in a ponytail (a rare color; it received even more questioning than Zidane's tail), kind yet slightly distant violet eyes peering out from behind bangs, a red mini-dress, and a cape (Zidane really needed a cape, it seemed like everyone except him - and Cecil - had one), she definitely drew quite a few stares.

Terra glanced up from the glass she was polishing and smiled at Cecil. "Hello there. Do you need food?"

Eyes widening, Cecil nodded vigorously and said, "If you may. Anything hot is fine. I can't linger too long."

"Take a seat," she offered, "I'll fix something up."

"Thank you." Cecil procured for himself a stool next to the other stranger, and Zidane beside him. "

So...where you from?" Zidane queried as Terra handed Cecil a cup of tea.

Cecil paused as he took a sip, contemplating how much to tell the boy. "...Baron," he finally replied.

Zidane leaned over the bar to ask the other, "How about you? Got a name?"

This guy was much more open. "I'm Bartz, Bartz Klauser. I'm...not really from anywhere. Mostly I wander with my Chocobo, Boco. You may have seen him outside."

Indeed, Zidane had spotted one of the yellow birds tied up. You didn't see many Chocobos up so far north.

"Why're you guys here? You don't get many visitors around here anymore."

Bartz simply shrugged and said, "I just go where the wind blows!"

Cecil, however, looked far more anxious. This prompted Zidane to say, "Look, Cecil, you've got the armor, the equipment, and everything you'd need, even money, I bet, to live well, yet I found you outside of here hungrier than a Qu. Are you -"

"Zidane, mind your own business," came a voice from behind the trio.

Zidane must've leaped three feet in the air, which was impressive when you realized his feet couldn't reach the floor to give him the necessary boost. "Cloud! Don't freak me out like that!"

Cloud shrugged, and as Bartz and Cecil took in the sight of the man, they couldn't help but wonder. Spiky blond hair that strongly resembled a Chocobo, glowing blue eyes, and clad in black from head to toe, Cloud certainly looked the part of a menacing security man.

On days when customers got too rough for even Terra to handle, Cloud happily stepped in and unleashed the enormous Buster Sword on his back. The Buster Sword strongly resembled a five-foot long butcher knife, and not a single person in town was willing to match blades with the master swordsman who wielded its girth. Despite all this, he had a mournful gaze that Zidane had never seen in anyone before in his life - until today, when he had met Cecil. Just what were their stories?

"Hi, Cloud! I'm Bartz!" the man himself said.

Cloud nodded coolly at Bartz. "You guys staying long? It'd be nice to have someone else besides monkey boy for company."

"Hey!" Zidane groaned, to everyone's amusement.

"I'm going to be here for a couple days," Bartz answered.

"I plan on leaving tonight," Cecil responded.

Bartz raised a skeptical eyebrow. "In a rush, huh?"

"...You could say I'm avoiding a meeting." Cecil said no more and just gazed into his teacup. What he saw in the liquid, the others could only imagine, but his eyes looked so scarred, so horrified, that no one knew how to respond.

Even so, Zidane had finally pieced together the puzzle pieces. "You're a fugitive."

Cecil closed his eyes and, hesitantly, nodded. Bartz and Cloud's eyes widened, and Terra poked her head up from her spot at the stove. "What?!"

"I should leave, I'm endangering you all here," Cecil murmured.

He tried to rise from his seat, but Bartz clutched his wrist. "Hey, man, I wouldn't leave now. It's getting dark, and the snow could get bad quickly. Besides, we can all take care of ourselves if anything happens!"

Cecil shook his head furiously in denial. "You don't understand, I've lingered too long already! They're - "

A dark, guttural voice spoke from the tavern's entrance, one that chilled everyone to the bone. "Well, well, well, look who it is."

 

* * *

 

 

Cecil spun in his seat, cursing to himself that he had been so easily found. How long had they been following him? "Jecht!" he cried.

Cecil had only met Jecht a few times, but he wasn't someone easily forgotten. The bronzed, gruff, athletic man had only joined Dissidia's forces recently for reasons unknown to Cecil, but he was formidable in battle. Effortlessly hefting an anchor-like sword, he had proven himself vital in raids and any other combative situation.

Jecht also wasn't sent on the elementary, everyday missions; he was rarely deployed, giving Cecil cause to worry. If Cecil was worrisome enough to have Jecht after his scent, then who was working alongside Jecht?

"Took us long enough to find you. Guess we're lucky we found you first," Jecht growled in his usual impatient tone. He spotted Cecil reaching for his weapon and sighed, tossing his own sword onto his shoulder. "Look, you're pretty reasonable from what I've seen. Just come with us and no one gets hurt!"

 _Us._ So Cecil was right: Jecht had backup. Things just kept getting better and better.

Behind Cloud, the tavern's other occupants were all taking action of their own volition. Cloud was rushing to the back door, sensing the threat behind Jecht's words and hoping to ensure no one else entered under his guard. Terra, on the other hand, ducked down behind the bar, and Cecil offered a silent prayer she wasn't noticed.

Zidane and Bartz were already on their feet, weapons out. Cecil had to marvel at their audacity and strange loyalty. He had only just met them, yet here they were, willing to fight alongside him...justice and truth still lived. Even after everything he had done, at least there was still good in others.

Jecht cocked an eyebrow at the wanderer and the local. "Huh. Nice tail, buddy."

"At least I'm wearing a shirt!" Zidane retorted, puffing out his chest. "Just get out of here, old man."

"Why are you chasing Cecil, anyway?" Bartz queried. "What crime's he guilty of? He seems to me like he's a nice guy."

Jecht shrugged. "Doesn't matter to the Emperor. Orders and orders, and they're telling me to bring you in." As he spoke, Jecht lifted his sword off his shoulder and pointed it at Zidane and Bartz. "Now just - "

Cecil stepped in front of Zidane and Bartz, shielding them from the intruder. "Jecht, no! This is between you and me! Keep them out of this!"

"Come on, you're a traitor!" said Jecht. Cecil had to ponder why Jecht sounded so agitated; he always gave off the impression he didn't give care about anything, let alone if the Empire burned. "And you're coming back with us. Dead or alive, it's up to you. Do yourself a favor."

"Look at us, Jecht!" Cecil bellowed at the older man, his eyes fully disclosing the anguish he was in. "We've become murderers and thieves, and all for what? To find a few crystals that might not even exist?"

Behind him, Cecil could hear Zidane and Bartz murmuring questions to each other in befuddlement, but he paid them little heed, his attention fully focused on Jecht.

Jecht sighed and stuck in sword in the floorboards to scratch his red bandana. Terra would probably be furious with the damage, but by the end of this reimbursing a barmaid would be the least of anyone's concerns. "Hey, I don't like it anymore than you do, but if we don't follow through with this then - "

"Are you done fraternizing with the enemy, Jecht?"

All four of the tavern's occupants (aside from possibly Terra, who was deathly quiet in her hiding place and probably hadn't moved a muscle) turned to stare at the newcomer.

Suddenly, Cecil began to worry he wouldn't win this fight.

Sephiroth. Of all people to set loose on his tail, they had sent Sephiroth, the silver-haired General in leather, the only one known to master the Masamune blade. Scourge of the Midgar Empire, bane of Alexandria...There were rumors that Sephiroth wasn't even human, and as he locked his violet eyes with Sephiroth's glowing acid green ones, he began to see there was almost certainly truth to these rumors.

"Let's not dawdle any longer, he's clearly not coming willingly," Sephiroth murmured dangerously, the whisper somehow perfectly clear to everyone in the room.

Without warning, Sephiroth rushed Cecil, bringing Masamune up and around, slicing the ceiling as it went. Just as quick, Cecil raised his dark sword to block and fired a volley of light orbs at Jecht, who rolled to the side.

Zidane and Bartz also leaped into action, the former jumping up and over Sephiroth's head and bringing his daggers around in a stabbing motion and the latter flinging a series of shuriken at Jecht. While the throwing stars were still in motion, he brought forth a rapier and attacked Jecht with a battle cry.

Even going two-on-one, Sephiroth was incredible. For all his skill and prowess, Cecil found himself sweating in exertion as he barely kept up. The General's aura practically reeked of something alien as he swung his blade to and fro with awe-inspiring speed. Their swords clinked as they clashed, sparks soaring through the air all around Sephiroth, Zidane, and Cecil.

Surprisingly, Zidane was nearly as fast as Sephiroth. Zidane wove around the room like a maniac. Crying out, Zidane jumped up, twirling his daggers to engage Sephiroth. Sephiroth slashed, but at the last minute Zidane flipped midair over the blade and brought his daggers down. They met air as Sephiroth shifted his body to the side, but it gave Cecil an opening to engulf Sephiroth in darkness. However, Sephiroth managed to escape relatively unscathed.

Bartz, meanwhile, wasn't faring any better. The wanderer seemed to have hundreds of tricks up his sleeve, just like the mime he appeared to be, but Jecht was overwhelming him with sheer brute strength. Deciding to switch tactics, Bartz sidestepped Jecht's swing to cast a fireball, but Jecht's fist collided with his jaw, sending him flying backwards right into Zidane. Ironically, this involuntary tackle saved Zidane's life as Masamune sliced right where Zidane used to be.

"Sephiroth!" Cecil heard Cloud holler as the spiky blond burst into the room. The General's eyes widened for too short of a millisecond. Then a malicious smile spread across his face as he purred, " _Cloud_." Cecil supressed a shudder. Whatever Sephiroth had done to Cloud, it wasn't pleasant.

Cloud didn't even give Sephiroth time to reminisce, instantly hurling himself at Sephiroth. The two clashed in midair and Cecil took a step back. So he wasn't the only one affiliated with these men...

Cloud stabbed forward, and Sephiroth leaped upward. Gritting his teeth and giving a harsh, passionate battle cry, Cloud went with the stabbing motion and rushed up, his sword brushing Sephiroth as the man barely dodged in time. A few of Sephiroth's severed hairs fluttered to the ground, but Sephiroth was too busy fighting his presumed archenemy to notice this atrocity.

Cecil decided to let these two deal with their vendetta for now, and he turned to Jecht. Bartz was still reeling from the horrible blow dealt to him, and Zidane was equally dazed, so Cecil faced Jecht alone. He darted forward, slicing his dark sword up, then to the right; Jecht barely managed to block. "You don't have to fight for a cause you don't sympathize with!" Cecil declared as the two clashed.

Jecht aimed a ferocious kick at Cecil's head, but Cecil ducked and summoned another orb of light to throw at the man. Jecht back-flipped as Cecil sent the orb hurtling, tossing flames at Cecil as he went. "Shut up, kid! You have no idea why I'm fighting!"

Undaunted, Cecil internally decided to stick to artes instead of physical techniques. "But you're killing innocents for them!"

This proved to be a mistake, as Jecht took advantage of this the time as Bartz to hurl another kick at Cecil's throat. Cecil stepped back, but he was still sideswiped by the blow. "I don't fight for no one but me!" Jecht hollered.

Cecil backpedalled and smacked into a table, tripping and smashing into its top. Faintly, he heard Cloud hiss in pain as Sephiroth dealt a blow. He picked his head up and saw Sephiroth grinning in triumph at a fallen Cloud, a dark sort of glee consuming his presence.

"I've been looking forward to this," he said to Cloud. "It's been how many years now? I've lost track. Ever since that day, I've actually been hoping I'd see you again...the last remnant to be destroyed."

Cecil tried to rise, but Jecht pinned him to the table with his foot, though his eyes were on Sephiroth. Sephiroth raised Masamune to deliver the killing blow -

And a thin blade was at his throat. "Let them go," Terra ordered, her voice quiet and low.

Sephiroth, for his part, looked like he was fighting off a good chuckle. "Or what?" he queried, eyeing her much smaller blade. "You'll slaughter me with your toothpick?"

"You don't know what I'm capable of," she replied. On the floor, Bartz and Zidane were slowly picking themselves up, but no one truly noticed.

"And what would that be, hm? Do you think you can overcome me?" He removed his sword from its place above Cloud's chest and instead pointed it at Terra, the smile gone from his face. "All I see is a terrified little girl, lost in a battlefield."

"Terra! Get out of here!" Cecil managed to shout before Jecht pressed his foot harder into his chest, pushing Cecil's armor against him and making it barely manageable to breathe, let alone yell.

"No more running!" Terra shouted, though what she meant was lost on them all. "Just let them go, and nothing has to happen!"

Something was happening around Terra. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what was occurring. After just a moment, his eyes widened in actual horror. "That's not possible."

He swept his sword toward Terra, but the movement was futile. Cecil, in all of his lifetime, throughout all the battles and hardships he had been through, had never witnessed someone casting Ultima. It was considered a lost spell, something so forbidden by humanity, for any attempt always resulted in death for the caster.

Terra, however, was much more resilient than she appeared. The Ultima hit both Sephiroth and Jecht with a precise barrage of green energy, not even dealing a glancing blow to Cecil, Cloud, Zidane, or Bartz. The two enemy soldiers cried out in agony as the Ultima's assault continued, and Cecil took advantage of the break to help Cloud to his feet.

Terra tried to assist Zidane and Bartz as the spell slowly dwindled to an end, but the two could only gawk. "What are you?" Zidane murmured in shock, and Terra turned her face away in shame.

"We need to get out of here," she muttered in reply, not desiring to answer at the moment. Around her, flames were starting to lick at the walls. Cecil thought to himself for a moment that her attack had been too aggressive...but then again, it was the first successful Ultima he had ever seen. You had to cut her some slack.

Focusing instead on the matter at hand, Cecil hoisted Cloud's arm around his shoulder, eliciting a moan from the guard. "Can we put him on your Chocobo, Bartz?" he asked as they limped out as quickly as they could.

Bartz nodded and helped Cloud onto Boco, and the five made off like thieves into the night, braving the cold in order to live.


	2. A Moment of Retrospective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of insight into the pasts of our main characters...what could it be?

Escape from Narshe wasn't incredibly difficult, but it was far from a walk in the park. Cecil and Zidane took the lead, with Bartz leading Boco, Cloud still dead weight on the Chocobo's back, and Terra defending the rear.

Soldiers lurked around every corner, so Zidane resorted to his sneakiness and would stealthily choke them one by one from behind, giving Cecil time to knock out their comrades with swift dark attacks. Despite his weariness from his travels, having not eaten in days even at the tavern and being on the brink of exhaustion, the fugitive knight was doing a marvelous job. One couldn't help but wonder how much trained he must have faced in order to endure this strife.

As they finally exited Narshe, sprinting towards the dark, snowy hills, each was faced with their own dark thoughts.

Cecil was mentally beating himself over the head for his own idiocy. How foolish he was! He had known the soldiers were on his tail after his desertion, why did he listen to Zidane and stop in Narshe at all?

_ You're lonely,  _ a dark, malicious voice taunted him.  _ Even laden with the burdens of your sins, you couldn't stop thinking of how great and terrible your punishment was, what you lost... _

The man with the split soul shook his head to clear it. If he went off on sorrowful tangents now, he would never recover. As much as he wanted to just collapse to the ground and give up his worthless life, he couldn't, for that was just a way out, and one could not atone for wretchedness if they were dead. Nor would his misery bring back those who were lost to him...

Deciding to distract himself, Cecil observed the new companions he had moronically dragged into this.

Right behind him was Zidane, the diminutive, bright, cheerful boy in fine clothing worn ragged. Cecil really had to marvel at that tail; he had never met any human with a tail before. It was also awfully rare to encounter someone who helped people without cause. Cecil hadn't asked Zidane to fight alongside him, but he imagined the thief would've aided him even if he hadn't been so weary.

Next to Zidane was Bartz. Cecil's first impression of Bartz was that of a brave, sunny young man with a strong sense of justice. Him and Zidane seemed to be kindred spirits, as they were chatting up a storm. Back in the cafe, his fighting skills had seemed quite diverse, and Cecil briefly pondered what Bartz had done in his past before moving on.

Cloud had come to a few minutes ago on Boco and was now walking next to the Chocobo, as pensive as Cecil. Cecil privately chuckled as he realized that maybe Cloud and Boco were long lost siblings, then he sobered up as he remembered all of Sephiroth's words to the man. Had he ever heard of Cloud Strife before? The name was unfamiliar, and Cecil imagined he'd be able to recall a name as exotic as  _ Cloud.  _ Even so, Sephiroth, famed merciless killer, had recognized him, and even seemed to know him well. What that was about was beyond Cecil's knowledge.

And then, trailing a little bit behind them, was Terra. The girl's power had been unbelievable, even beyond the magic he had seen the likes of his brother and mage allies cast. He...hadn't expected it out of her. Granted, he should have, what with knowing another green-haired mage who was probably younger still than Terra, but why was such a powerful one working as a barmaid, of all things? Was she a fugitive as well? Well, one thing was for sure: they all probably had just as much baggage as he did.

Try as he might, Cecil couldn't keep his mind off those he had left behind. With all his heart, he pleaded that none of them would be punished for his desertion. Golbez would probably be okay, he was more than capable of defending himself, a fact Cecil was immensely grateful for. He would've liked to talk to his brother before leaving, just to have some support in the face of such horror and maybe to join together as a team, but his desertion had been so terribly sudden that he never had the chance.

His other friends were probably safe as well. Cid was too useful to be done away with, and the Empire knew little to nothing about Rydia. Kain, too, was a superb dragon knight, and Cecil dearly hoped him, Golbez, and Cid would hear of what had occurred and abandon the Empire as well.

Still, this didn't halt his worrying or his fear.

 

* * *

 

 

Sephiroth. The name alone made Cloud grit his teeth and narrow his eyes in long-living anger. How dare that bastard try to kill all of them!?

Cloud wouldn't have it. Cecil and Bartz may be complete strangers to him, but they still seemed to be decent people, especially if they had the courage to stand up to the Empire. Cloud wasn't sure what Cecil had done to ignite the Emperor's ire, but he was mighty glad the knight had the guts anyways.

As if trying to bring in Cecil for execution wasn't enough, Sephiroth had tried to kill Terra and Zidane, his friends, as well. Sure, Jecht had been there, but Cloud hadn't sensed much malicious intent from the dark skinned man. He also had to wonder how Jecht hadn't been freezing his ass off, moseying around Narshe without a shirt.

_ You're getting off topic, Cloud,  _ he berated himself...  _ Even though Jecht definitely was a bit of a dick. _

He sent a worried glance Terra's way. Sure, him and Zidane had known Terra had magic abilities, but they hadn't realized how potent those powers truly were. She was biting her lip but otherwise showing no signs of anxiousness.

Well, no matter what matter of species she was, he would protect her and all of his other friends. Sephiroth and Empire wouldn't rob him of any more comrades ever again.

 

* * *

 

 

To be quite honest, Zidane was almost grateful for the Empire's strike. It sounded quite terrible, considering that they would have been killed were it not for Terra's intervention, but he had needed the kick in the butt!

So many years ago, he had dragged himself away from rubble, left with nothing but the clothes on his back. He had abandoned all hopes that there was something, anything, of his old life left, aside from the one he had left behind.

Yet, after all this time, Cecil had motivated him. Maybe, just maybe, he'd take action and fight for what he believed in. In his heart, he truly wanted to help Cecil, Cloud, and Terra (well, Terra for a few different reasons than the other two), and chatting with Bartz was fun, even though it seemed the guy had less of a problematic life than any of them.

But still, he knew that if he wanted to help them, there was something he could do for them, get help from someone he had yet to forgive...but there was no way! After all the Empire had done, their misdeeds need to be put to a stop, and there was one person Zidane knew could help them...How could he place trust in the one who had betrayed him, though?

_ Kuja, what do I do about you...? _

 

* * *

 

 

Bartz wondered if any of them knew about his past. After all, despite how incredible his previous adventure had been, no one had believed his tales before, claiming them to be too ludicrous.

Even so, he was already putting a little faith in Zidane and the others. Sure, Terra had some awe-inspiring power that made him a little nervous, Cloud seemed awfully quiet and definitely had a dark past, and Cecil was knee-deep in trouble with the law, but they seemed to be trustworthy people, more so than the Empire.

That was just what Bartz did, like he had told them back at the tavern: he went where the wind blew, free as a wild spirit, yet bound to nothing but his strongly developed sense of justice. So he'd help Cecil with his issue, assist Terra and Cloud, and Zidane too if he had a problem. Perhaps this would be a grand adventure, and he would make dear, lifelong friends.

He just hoped he wouldn't lose his new friends this time around.

 

* * *

 

 

Terra’s legs felt like lead. The others thankfully were giving her space to think and brood, but that in itself was ominous

_ They’re afraid of me,  _ she thought to herself, looking down at her hand and summoning a little spark to warm her uncovered fingers.  _ They’re afraid of me, just like everyone else in the world now. _

She couldn’t escape her past, she couldn’t escape what they had done to her,  _ with  _ her...but no more. She wasn’t going to run anymore, wasn’t going to be a puppet in this game anymore. She was a woman of her own volition, and her will was hers alone. 

But if that was the case...why did she still hear his echoing, evil laughter in the back of her mind?

 

* * *

 

 

A pile of rubble garbled out a series of swear words that would've made the hardiest of soldiers, sailors, and Cids blush. Then, without warning, the rubble seemingly exploded and Jecht emerged from its midst. "We lost them!"

Sephiroth was already in the process of dusting off his coat as he responded, "It would've been a victory for us if we had known beforehand they had such a powerful mage... Did she seem familiar to you?"

"How would I know, I haven't been around very long!" Jecht growled, still grumpy about the epic defeat. "If you're really as amazing as you say, then why can't you remember, huh?"

Sephiroth suddenly turned to seize Jecht by the strap across his shoulders. "Don't you forget your place. You'll only get what you want if you help us and don't step a toe out of line, make no mistake. All it's take is one remark out of place for me to deem you worthless to me, understand?" He released Jecht just as suddenly, allowing the man to catch his breath.

Jecht waited until Sephiroth was out of earshot to mutter, "He really is as nuts as they say," before strolling out himself after the pretentious psychopath.

Sephiroth was currently talking to a soldier. "Where were you?"

The soldier gulped, and Jecht could easily picture the poor sod wetting himself in the face of Sephiroth. "W-we were attacked f-from the behind...sir!" he hastily saluted and practically shoved one of his compatriots in front of him, like a nice, squishy human shield.

The human shield's eyes widened and he tried to justify their failures as quickly as possible. "They had a man who could control light and shadows, and a master thief, and an evil witch!"

Sephiroth tsked furiously and turned away, walking towards the town outskirts. "Prepare to mobilize!" he ordered as he narrowed his eyes to slits, gazing towards the hills beyond. "I don't know who you all are, but you will all perish under me like you deserve...Cloud, I look forward to your doom..."

Completely stupefied behind Sephiroth, Jecht was gawking incredulously. "...Man, do you always talk to yourself like a nut job?"


	3. Calm and Chaos

"So, are we going to address the elephant in the room?" asked Bartz.

Cloud let out a soft yet snide snort. "Which one?"

The ragtag band of five (plus Boco) were gathered around a campfire, many hours after escaping the hellscape that was the Dissidia Empire's hold on Narshe. Each colorful character was silent until Bartz's interruption, each pensive and worried over their thoughts.

Zidane stood up from his small boulder perch and sighed. "Honestly, between Cecil here being a fugitive, Cloud and Sephiroth being old pals-" Cloud let out yet another scoff. "-and Terra blowing her own tavern to smithereens, I don't know where is best to start."

"I can explain," intervened Terra, to everyone's surprise. "It's a long story, but...I can explain."

"I need to provide an explanation myself," said Cecil as well. "After all I put you four through, I owe it to you lot."

Cloud said nothing about his issue. The only people who needed to know his problems were people who mattered in the respective situation. A soldier didn't just reveal his secrets to everyone.

"I'll begin," Cecil spoke up, and so he began to weave his tale. "...As you have already figured out, I'm a fugitive dark knight on the run from the Empire."

"What gave it away?" said Zidane, resulting in him receiving a thump on the shoulder from Cloud.

"The Empire was once not this violent, not this cruel," Cecil continued. "And among its ranks, there are some members who are respectful and kind, but as a whole...their evil cannot continue. I will tell you the truth, before I deserted I...was a part of something truly horrible."

"You don't have to explain if you can't, Cecil," Bartz soothed the man, but Cecil shook his head in refusal.

"No, I feel like if even an explanation can help me atone for my sins, then I owe it to you all...I took part in burning a summoner village." Zidane looked like he was going to be ill, Terra was as stoic as Cloud, and Bartz was trying to keep a straight face. "It was horrific, it was beyond evil...they took everything from them, and I ran, I ran as far away as I possibly could. How cowardly..."

"I don't think it's cowardly," spoke up Terra, to everyone's surprise. "Now, now we can fix it, am I wrong?" 

Cecil looked astonished. "How?" he said.

Terra clasped her hands together in her lap and gazed down at them, not making eye contact with anyone. "...I was also once a tool of the Empire."

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Zidane. Cloud didn't look fazed at all. "Cloud, did you know this?"

"Yeah, I did. Now let her finish, monkey boy," said the soldier.

"I was once one of the elite forces of the Empire, though I didn't give my consent to them to use me."

Cecil looked ill but nodded. "You were one of those magitek knights, weren't you? I saw them on the last raid I took apart in, though I was not one myself...did they use one of those slave crowns on you?"

Terra nodded, while Zidane looked puzzled. "What's a slave crown?" he asked.

"I know this one, actually," replied Bartz, speaking up. "They're mind control devices, I saw them in my travels before. Nasty things."

Zidane looked at Terra in a new light. She'd been through so much, and yet she looked like a deer in the headlights as she explained all this with a straight, almost dazed face. Poor girl...yet another girl he couldn't protect, and he had no idea she'd been through so much. Maybe this would explain her words at the tavern... "So when you said at the bar that you weren't going to run anymore...?"

"I'm going to fight the Empire," she said decisively, while everyone else looked at her in surprise. "I don't know why, but I know...I was born with magic. I've always been able to use it, since I was little. The Empire knew this and used me, and I'm going to face them. They're going to face all their evil deeds and have to pay for what they did...what they made me do..." Even though her words were harsh, she said them so softly that it was almost as though she didn't believe she was saying them.

"Then I'm in too," said Zidane. "I'm not going to run anymore, either!"

"Are you saying that because you're serious or because you can't let down a pretty girl?" said Bartz.

"...We only met yesterday and yet you know me so well already," the tailed-boy groaned.

"I'll go along with you guys as long as you need me!" said Bartz in reply. "I have a lot of fighting experience, and I can help! What about you guys, Cloud and Cecil?"

Cloud shrugged. "Not interested, but I made a promise to someone...and I intend to keep it."

"Meaning...?"

"I'm in," said Cloud with an eyeroll.

"Then it's decided," said Cecil. "We will all fight for our beliefs, for our just causes against the Empire."

These heavy words were spoken with such severity that it sent chills down Zidane's spine. Bartz looked smiley yet his eyes shone with fire. Terra was stone-faced and yet she looked so determined that no one would dare to stop her, and Cloud kept glancing at Zidane and Terra yet he looked ready for battle.

"Wait! So we're like, a mini rebel army now?" said Zidane. "That's kinda awesome, don't you think? We need a name!"

"A name?" questioned Cecil.

"Yeah! You know, like something cool and theatrical to strike fear into the Empire's soldier's hearts! I am kinda fond of Tantalus..."

"Tantalus? Isn't that a theater guild from Alexandria?" questioned Bartz.

Zidane's face fell just a tad. He hadn't expected anyone else to know that. "Uh...well, yeah. So I guess we shouldn't use that, huh..."

"The Returners?" offered Terra.

"That name's already in use," said Cloud.

"Avalanche!" said Zidane.

Cloud actually grimaced. "...I don't feel comfortable emulating them, either."

"What do you all think of the Warriors of Light?" said Cecil, as if a light bulb went off above his head.

The discussion raged on all through their waking hours, but it was then that night that the Warriors of Light were bound together, be it by the chains of destiny or a silly discussion about names.


	4. Confessions and Crosswords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emperor Mateus is not happy, but there is a silver lining to Jecht and Sephiroth's failure. Meanwhile, the motley crew decides their next steps.

To say Emperor Mateus was displeased would be the understatement of the millennium. All in all, he was beyond furious, but only one thing was holding him back from killing Sephiroth and Jecht on the spot as they delivered their report.

“So...I do not believe I have the story straight. You were on the verge of bringing in not one but multiple fugitives, and then...you were defeated by a frail little girl.”

“Man, we already told you this, why are you laughing it off?”

The Emperor was chuckling darkly to himself. His laugh sent chills down Jecht’s spine, who was standing at the foot of the Emperor’s throne alongside Sephiroth. “Oh, no need to worry. You may have actually been of some use to us after all, Jecht. Rest assured, your reward will be waiting for you...eventually.”

Jecht bristled and reached for his weapon, only to be halted by Sephiroth’s Masamune at his throat. “You...you promised you’d leave  _ that  _ out of this, you bastard! And what do you mean of use to you?!”

An enormous man in was the one to respond in the Emperor’s place. “That girl is a product of our experimentation, as was the man with the oversized sword. Cloud Strife and Terra Branford have been fugitives of the Empire for even longer than Cecil Harvey, and at last they may be within our grasp.”

“Garland, there is no need to explain everything to Jecht here, he’s only a pawn in all this.” Pawn, huh? Well this pawn was going to shove his blade straight up that so-called lousy excuse of an Emperor’s ass and--

“Wait,” said Sephiroth, interrupting Jecht’s train of thought. “I have a question.”

“Very well, fire away,” responded the Emperor.

“Did you all not find the other two a tad suspicious? The one looked rather plain, but I thought the runt with the monkey tail was--”

“Do not concern yourself with him,” said Garland, “I will deal with that one personally…”

* * *

 

After separating from the oh so wonderful crew of jackasses, Jecht needed a drink. Or two. Or four. He hadn’t had a drink since his travels in the past, but all in all this was tempting him to go right back to his old fling. Old habits died hard.    


“...you to bring them back alive,” said a familiar voice. “After all, dear Zidane is with them, and we need him for all this to work, don’t we, Kuja?”

Jecht froze before he turned the corner. That was Garland. What was Garland doing with someone like Kuja?

Jecht, like many others, had heard rumors of Kuja. A man of frailty yet majesty, Kuja had brought hell upon the world of Alexandria nearly three years ago, his debut in the world of villainy. Since then his kill count outnumbered everyone except perhaps Sephiroth among those currently with the Empire. 

However, some of the rumors didn’t match up. He had heard Kuja was once an actor in the theater business alongside a gang called Tantalus, yet the rumors now stated he was a man of no words. So what was the truth? This, along with sheer boredom, made Jecht decide to listen in.

But Kuja said nothing to Garland, and Garland just continued. “The two of you are all we need for this to succeed, despite what the Emperor thinks. You’re the tool that will lead this all to victory.”

There was steps and Jecht almost panicked, thinking Garland was going to walk in his direction, but instead Kuja turned the corner.

His figure reminded him of femininity, but he exuded sheer power and it caused chills down Jecht’s spine. However, what was the most chilling was his absolutely blank stare. 

“Hey, man, you okay?” asked Jecht, but Kuja said nothing and walked right past him. “Weird…”

Much later, Jecht arrived safely in his quarters. Checking to make sure his room wasn’t bugged again, he pulled out a peculiar little device. “Hey, girly, you there?”

_ “...Y reporting for duty, Sir Jecht!” _

“Ugh, I told you to drop the Sir title already.”

“ _ So sorry, Sir Jecht!” _

“Well, whatever. I got more news for you about the mission…”

* * *

 

“So, what’s our first step?” said Cecil to the ragtag group.

They had journeyed far to escape the Empire, all the way south from Narshe to a little inn in Macalania. The Guado here were a bit leery of their odd bunch, but Cecil's and Terra’s kind words and Zidane's and Bartz’s good natures swayed the Guado in their favor, and they had scored a room.

“I think first we need to think of a place to strike, and strike them good!” said Bartz. “Somewhere we can invade where not many civilians will be injured.”

“Don’t you all think perhaps we need a bit more manpower?” offered Cecil. “Trying to recruit others for our cause would be nice.”

“Yeah, but it’s hard to figure out who wants to join our group and who wants our heads on a platter,” countered Cloud. 

“That’s why we should be careful about it,” said Terra. “We can figure out who’s also an enemy of the Empire and try to offer them a place against the Empire?”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” said Bartz. “What do you think, Zidane?” But Zidane was spacing out. “Zidane? Zidane!”

“Huh? Sorry, was kinda lost in thought,” said Zidane.

Cloud squinted at Zidane suspiciously. “You look concerned, Zidane. What’s up?”

“Ehhhh….” Zidane scratched the back of his head and shrugged, looking downtrodden. Quite unlike him, really. “It’s not important. Just thinking of last time I tried fighting the good fight.”

“You fought the Empire before?” exclaimed Terra, holding a hand to her lips in shock. “What happened? Does it have something to do with how you ended up in Narshe?”

Zidane sighed and looked at his hands. “I guess….yeah. Yeah, it does.”

“You don’t need to discuss it if it’s a sore subject, ZIdane,” said Cecil. 

“Thanks, Cecil...can we leave it for another time? It’s kinda a sore spot for me.”

The group drifted off into an uncomfortable silence. It seemed that other than Bartz, they all had a bone to pick with the Empire, even Zidane now. 

Cloud crossed his arms and began trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Zidane didn’t talk much about his past. When Terra or Cloud would ask, he just said it was a sore spot and didn’t like talking about it, and Terra at least left it at that. Cloud did as well externally, but internally he wondered just what happened. 

The three of them were an odd trio, the greatest of friends while not knowing much of anything about each other. Sure, Cloud knew Zidane was a fan of shitty pickup lines, and Terra would do anything to hug every Moogle who passed through, but what did they  _ truly  _ know about each other? Terra was once a tool of the Empire, he knew now, but Zidane was a total mystery. 

“...Zidane.”

Zidane perked up, looking a tad nervous. “Yeah, Cloud?”

“Will the information you’re hiding from us cause any potential danger to us?”

“...I hope not?”

That settled it. “Then we can leave it for another time.”

Zidane heaved a sigh of relief, and Cloud’s suspicion only grew. That monkey was hiding something big, and he knew it, but for now Cloud would drop it.

“Anyways, what if we headed to the outskirts of the Empire? Less sympathizers for the government out there, you know?” offered Zidane.

The others were a fan of that idea, and once agreed, they tucked in for the night.

* * *

 

_ “Come on, we’re almost there!” _

_ “Just a little further, I know! We need to keep running!” _

_ “No need to get your knickers in a twist, Cloud! We’ll be free once we escape this place, and then…” _

_ “Aerith? Aerith! Look out!” _

* * *

Cloud woke up silently, but his heartbeat gave him away. It was imbalanced, racing, and at a hellish beat. “Can’t sleep?”

Cloud turned around and noticed Cecil was awake as well, as those two had decided to share a room for the night. Bartz and Zidane had their own room, and Terra had one to herself. For a moment they had discussed Terra sharing a room with them to ward off danger, but Terra had assured them she could take care of herself, and after her display in Narshe, everyone believed her and left it at that.

“...Guess not,” replied Cloud. “What about you?”

Cecil sighed, looking pensive. “I am as haunted by nightmares as you are,” he replied. “Would a listening ear help you talk about it?”

“Not interested in discussing it,” said Cloud. “What about you? Care to talk about it?”

“...That would be rather nice, but I would feel quite guilty if the trust was not reciprocated, to be quite honest with you, Cloud. I’ll discuss my woes if you will trust me enough to discuss yours. Does it involve Sephiroth?”

Cloud didn’t know what it was, but...Cecil reminded him a bit of someone he once knew, even if his speech was much more stuffy. “I….yeah, it did.”

Cecil gestured for him to continue, and Cloud did his best to remain aloof while he...discussed his woes. “So I grew up in a farm town and wasn’t exactly the most popular kid. I wanted to impress this girl I liked, so I signed up for the Dissidia military.”

Cecil nodded. “Where were you stationed?”

“...I never got the chance to be stationed.” Cecil looked a bit confused, so Cloud clarified. “I was assigned a position inside the labs where they were holding people hostage. People who were different...like Terra. And there were two people I talked to every day. Their names were...Zack and Aerith.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Zack was a SOLDIER, I suppose a rank similar to yours. Aerith was one of the hostage otherworldly beings called the Cetra. She was held against her will...” Cecil appeared alarmed. “...And so were we.

“They were using us for some sorts of experiments. I don’t know what they were doing, but there was this sick bastard there named Hojo...I honestly don’t remember everything he did, but he’s still out there. And I need to stop him.”

“...What happened to Aerith and Zack?” asked Cecil.

Cloud froze. This was getting to be increasingly difficult to tell his story. “...They’re dead. Sephiroth killed them.”

He left it at that before he lost his composure. “What about you?”

`”...I had a nightmare about the ravaging of the summoner village,” said Cecil. “I was only able to save one little girl, and now I don’t know if she’s even alive or not.”

Cloud nodded, it was a reasonable fear. “Where is she now?”

“With my brother. I haven’t heard from him in awhile, I hope they are both okay…”

* * *

 

_ Meanwhile, in Bartz and Zidane’s room… _

“No way!” exclaimed Zidane in shock, sipping his ale across from Bartz at the table. “You’re saying you fought a tree demon man and saved the world?”

“You don’t believe me? Or are you too drunk to care at this point?” asked Bartz hopefully.

Zidane took another sip and smashed his stein down on the table. “Of course I believe you! Though you sound as crazy as my brother…”

Bartz may have had some glog, but he wasn’t drunk enough to forget what Zidane said. “You have a brother?”

Zidane froze, all the mirth falling from his face. “...Yeah, yeah I do. Don’t know where he is, or what he’s doing, but yeah. Kuja…”

Zidane fell into silence, and Bartz set down the cup. Zidane seriously needed to talk about this, it was written all over his face. “Look...Zidane, you can talk to me about this, whatever happened I won’t judge. Even if it’s hard to talk about, I think you kinda need to.”

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Then Zidane set down his stein and began. “I don’t remember much from when I was little. I don’t know where I’m from or who I am. Heck, sometimes I even question why I have a tail. But as long as I can remember, Kuja was there.

“Your brother, I assume?”

“Yeah,” Zidane said with a nod, looking miserable. “Ever heard of Tantalus?”

“Of course! Everyone’s heard of them, though they went missing many years ago-wait. Waiiiiiit. No way.  _ No way.” _

Zidane pointed a thumb at his chest, still looking forlorn. “You’re looking at their former leading actor.”

“No way!”

“Yes way...though Kuja was really the more theatrical one.” Bartz found that hard to believe, based on Zidane’s theatrics the past few days alone. “I don’t understand what happened. One day he was with us, performing. Then he disappears, and three days later he...he…” Between the alcohol and the pain of his tale, Zidane was choking up. “He destroyed Alexandria.”

Bartz was dead silent. “No way…” he whispered.

“Killed our Tantalus brothers too,” choked Zidane, resting his forehead on the table. 

Bartz was lost for words, but all he could think was that something was wrong with that story, though what it was he had no idea…

* * *

 

Terra woke up in a flash, summoning a ball of fire in her hand with a fierce expression on her face.

No one was there.

“The nightmares again…” Terra said to herself as she sighed and stepped out of bed, walking over to put on some clothes worth decency. She had the nightmares almost every night, though after the incident in Narshe they had intensified. 

She couldn’t give them much heed. Putting on a poker face, she opened her inn door and walked downstairs to get a cup of tea.

Terra found comfort in the little things, from hugging Moogles (whether they liked it or not), to wearing pretty dresses, to a nice cup of tea at four in the morning. To her surprise, there was another man in there, an enormous man who dwarfed her in comparison. 

“Can’t sleep?” he said in a smooth, velvety voice that Terra found herself lost in. “I’m almost done with the tea station, feel free to help yourself.”

Terra nodded gratefully and sneaked right past him, grabbing herself a bag of chamomile tea. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure it’s rough not being able to sleep for you as well.”

“Not at all, to be quite honest. And to what do I owe the pleasure, Miss…”

“My name’s Terra.” This was difficult. She couldn’t tell him her dreams involved her murdering innocents against her will, that would just raise more questions than it quelled. “...I just had some bad dreams about dying, I suppose...Oh, I never caught your name!”

“You may call me Theodor. It’s nice to meet you, Terra, and I hope your dreams become simpler and calmer soon.”

“To you as well.”

Once her tea had steeped, she turned around and noticed Theodor still sitting down at a table near the tea station. “Mind if I sit with you, Theodor?”

“Not at all.”

They sipped their tea in silence for a few moments, Theodor filling out a crossword puzzle. Terra found herself mesmerized by his appearance. Black cape-like scarf, peculiar colored eyes (much like hers, which made her wonder…) and a height that would dwarf magitek armor. Terra wondered what his story was…

“Would you mind looking over my answers, Terra?” he asked in his dulcet tones. 

“Sure!” she replied, and cheerfully took the crossword puzzle from him, and-

Her blood turned to ice as she read over his “answers.”

_ Your inn is surrounded by the Empire. Escape is improbable. I will alert Cecil and the others. Please stay alive for their sake.  _

“Ah...they all look wonderful, sir, I’ll do my best to think them over.” She handed over the crossword of death and he took it with a nod.

“I will be retiring for the night, Terra, it was nice to meet you.”

“You as well, Theodor,” she replied with a grim expression, left alone to wonder how he knew Cecil’s name. 

Then her blood froze to ice for a second time. “Well, well, I thought he’d  _ never  _ leave! Thank golly goodness he did, because it’s playtime!”

Slowly, she turned around, and faced the enemy within her nightmares, now in the flesh. “... _ Kefka.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did this chapter remind me of The Breakfast Club half the time?


End file.
